Elder - Sinsear

Ogham Necklace

Honoring our elders and ancestors should not be forgotten. Without
them (be they blood relation or not) we would not be where we are
today. Their influence spans time just as our influence will some
day leave similar marks upon the world and those we are connected
to.

Sinsear is the Irish Gaelic word for elder, ancestor, forefather.
After translating Sinsear into the ancient Ogham alphabet I hand
cut (pierce) it through the metal of these pendants. The front of
these pendants are polished to a high shine and the backs have a
brushed texture so even if you cannot read Ogham or Gaelic you will
always know which is the front. The base metal pendants are sealed
with bees wax after polishing and will gain a natural patina over
time unique to its wearer. The pendants hang from an adjustable
black cotton cord that can be replaced with a jump ring upon request.
This necklace comes with an information sheet
about the Ogham alphabet and what the pendant says.

The Ogham Alphabet:
Sometimes referred to as the "Celtic Tree Alphabet", Ogham
was used between the 4th and 7th centuries AD in Ireland, Scotland,
Wales, and England. The initial alphabet consisted of 20 characters
with a few more complex characters being added later. The letters
were formed by combinations of short lines on and at either side
of a middle line called a "flesc". With a vertical flesc
words are read from bottom to top.
Although surviving traces of Ogham were inscribed on stone it was
probably more commonly inscribed on sticks, stakes, and trees to
mark boundaries. There is also evidence from early Irish sagas and
legends that indicates Ogham was used for short inscriptions on
wood or metal used to relay messages (some cryptic in nature or
for magical purposes) or to denote ownership of the object. There
is also evidence that suggests that Ogham may have been used to
keep genealogy records, numerical tallies of property, and business
transactions.
Of the 400-500 remaining inscriptions a handful have been found
featuring Ogham along with the Latin alphabet, most of the inscriptions
are in an archaic form of Gaelic and Pictish.